JULIAN, Calif. (KGTV) - Despite the pandemic, hundreds flocked to San Diego's mountains to enjoy the snow Saturday.
In Julian, snow coated the rooftops over shops and restaurants downtown.
"I love my friends down in the city. We’re all neighbors, whether in the city or the mountains, we’re all one family," Cat Strada said.
She grew up in Julian and hopes some visitors will be a little more neighborly during this round of snow.
"Blue Door Winery did a trash pick up and I think they got seven bags of garbage after this last snow and a lot of it was cigarette butts," Strada said. "There’s still sleds sitting on the side of the hill from the last snow."
Saturday morning she saw visitors sledding at the cemetery where her father is buried and politely asked them to move.
She doesn't want to discourage anyone from visiting and knows the small businesses thrive from tourism. She hopes visitors come prepared.
Things she says to keep in mind:
- Bring a trash bag. Trash cans fill up quickly with thousands of visitors.
- Arrive early, traffic backs up for hours as the day progresses on the weekends.
- Visit on a weekday to avoid traffic.
- Bring chains or use a car with four wheel drive.
- Don't feed privately owned livestock, it can make them sick.
- Plan where you're going to park and sled legally.
Oftentimes visitors don't realize where private driveways start and end when covered in snow and block locals in.
When asked where to go sledding, Strada replied, "I don’t know because all the big areas that have hills are all private property, I just don’t know, I would say Mammoth?"
Snow Valleyin San Bernardino is open for activities like skiing and snowboarding.
She said there's only three public parks and four public restrooms.
Julian residents hope visitors realize their small businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic, and suggest anyone who stops in to use their restroom buys something if they can.
Her biggest suggestion to visitors, "just be kind, be smart and plan ahead."
